BY NICKI MAYO
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Erie County Health officials take steps to vaccinate pregnant women for the H1N1 virus.
“I think it’s overwhelming being pregnant with your first child and having information coming from everyone,” said expectant mother Kellena Kane. The West Buffalonian says she had questions about getting the H1N1 vaccine; but she has no questions when it comes to protecting her unborn baby.
“I did have big concerns with mercury with the Thermasol being included in the shots. So both my regular seasonal shot and this swine flu shot, both did not have the mercury in it,” she added.
University Travel Health held a H1N1 vaccination clinic at Erie County Medical Center to offer shots to 150 pregnant women. The shots cost $19.57. The mothers say that’s a small price to pay for pre-natal care and a healthy baby.
“I work with kids all day. They have their little germs,” said Buffalo’s Keary Constantine. “I have a two-year-old at home. So I wanted to get it to protect myself as well as my unborn and the rest of my family,” Constantine added.
“We’ve kind of polled the health resources in the area and have found that it’s been a need for expectant mothers to receive the vaccine and they have not been able to get a hold of it,” said Dr. David Hughes with University Occupational Health and University Travel Health. Medical officials are urging expectant mothers to get the H1N1 shot because their immunity tends to drop a little bit while they’re pregnant. They say this is just another way mothers can protect their babies before they are born.
“Mothers who contract the H1N1 virus without having the vaccine have a higher incidence of morbidity, mortality and a higher incidence of hospitalization,” added Dr. Hughes.
Kellena Kane says she hopes getting the H1N1 shot will keep her out of the hospital bed until her big day.
“I thought that it was better to get it than take the risk of getting sick and having complications,” Kane said.
